Prochaic Knowledge
by Digi-Dolphin
Summary: seq. to Dwarven Legacy. The Moria Gallery brings up more questions than answers. How can Caleb move on with his quest when he keeps getting involved in Wren's problems?
1. Chapter 1

Ch 1

Lloyd's room was crowded. One large white and red mana beast that was alternating between chewing on the vines growing all over the wood in the room and squirming around for more space, one green-clad automatic doll with a soul thrashing about while pinned to the wall, and a semi-exiled Wonder Chef on the verge of using a near-nuclear cooking spell on the house quickly made enough noise and damage to draw the attentions of the three occupants of the house.

"Get _off_ of me! I can't _breathe_!"

"Can somebody tell me if I'm looking at the gates of heaven or Pepper's rump?"

The wood under the mana beast creaked, then collapsed as one of Peppermint FireBlossom's massive paws broke through. She squawked in shock and began thrashing, free meal of greenery forgotten as she tried desperately to free herself from the floor. The Wonder Chef, known to family as Adam Voraci, and to Caleb as Wren, crawled out as best he could from under the mana beast and looked around. Caleb himself, the automatic doll built to look just like the former Chosen, Zelos Wilder, pulled his legs up and squirmed harder, finally sliding down with a thump onto what was left of the floor.

"We'd better get out of here before we attract any unwanted attention." Wren told the doll.

"Bit too late for that." Caleb remarked with a hesitant smile as he pointed over Wren's head. The chef looked back and turned red at the sight of three grumpy swordsmen glaring at them.

"I said I needed more fiber in my breakfast, but raining splinters into my omelet isn't what I had in mind." Zelos grumbled.

_"__What did you do to my room?!"_ Lloyd Irving Aurion yelled, "My Dad's gonna _kill_ me if he sees that hole!" Kratos Aurion was last to enter the room and merely rested his chin on the floorboard from where he stood on the stairwell, a piece of toast held between his teeth. He gave the group a strange look, then humphed and disappeared down below to finish his breakfast.

"H-hey, guys! Uh, good morning!" Caleb greeted brightly, hoping neither of his two groups of friends decided to have at each other for the sake of relieving irritation.

* * *

With introductions and explanations out of the way, and Pepper busily playing outside with Noishe, who surprisingly enough wasn't afraid of the mana beast, Caleb asked Lloyd about the layout of the Iselia Ranch south of the little house.

"Ah, it's big and empty. And there's a lot of rooms full of stuff I can't figure out." the dual swordsman answered, scratching his head in confusion.

"That's not much help, Lloyd." Caleb sighed, "But the fact that it's empty is somewhat reassuring. We won't have to deal with any monsters or anything." He looked over at Wren, who was currently trying to cook a replacement meal and ignore Zelos at the same time but failing miserably at it. "Which is a major plus in my book as I worry about Wren."

The group looked over at the kitchen area, watched the original redhead come running out with several riceballs being thrown after him, then looked at Caleb with droll expressions. Caleb laughed nervously, scratching at his cheek.

"I see no need to worry about the Wonder Chef. If push comes to shove, he can always just turn himself into a basket of toys and no monster will be the wiser." Kratos muttered, poking at his plate.

"That's not why I worry." Caleb grumbled and shot a look at the other redhead now eyeing the silver gem the automatic doll had placed on the dinner table. "And you leave him alone. I've seen him take out bigger idiots with that fork of his."

"You can sell this thing and make a lot of money, y'know." Zelos remarked and grinned, "Then you can get all the food you want!"

"If this data crystal really is magitechnology developed by the half-elves, then Cruxis would definitely have records of it, and may even have used it themselves." Kratos announced with a matter-of-fact tone, "Though I personally haven't had contact with such a thing and thus have no idea where to go looking for a reader... But, the idea of searching Iselia for such a device to read this crystal seems to be the best option."

"Well, if that's all the information you have about Iselia Ranch then Wren, Pepper and I will be on our way." Caleb remarked as he stood up, "Also, Genis sends his greetings from the Yggdrasill Tree, where he's conducting a study on mana beasts." He looked towards the kitchen and watched the blonde chef emerge with two pots, one he set on the table and the other he kept on hand. "Ready to go, Wren?"

"Yes. This is in case the doors to Iselia Ranch have been locked or barricaded in any way." Wren replied, holding up the second pot.

"Hey. Here's a new recipe I came up with that you might like to try!" Zelos remarked with a grin, "Mix wine and women for a real good time!"

"I'll be outside." Wren grumbled and stomped out, followed by Caleb as he called out for him.

"Man needs to loosen up some." Zelos ended with a sigh and got up to see what was in the pot, "Hey! Spaghetti!" Kratos and Lloyd fled the table.

* * *

Iselia Ranch was considered by many to be the trigger to the World Reunification journey. It was here that the Lloyd witnessed the atrocities that befell a poor old woman named Marble that urged him onto his journey to change the world. Now, silent and devoid of life, the ranch didn't seem that historical. But, as Wren had thought, the gate was locked and Caleb watched in awe as the Wonder Chef poured a portion of the broth in his little cauldron onto the bar that blocked the way. The broth melted through the iron, eating it away and dropping the pieces that were left to the ground.

"Like a hot knife through butter!" Wren remarked with a smile and walked past the fallen pieces to push on the doors, "Nngh! This thing's... heavy!"

"Let me have at it." Caleb told him and stepped forward to take his place.

"No, don't...!" Wren cried as the doll put his hands against the gates. Smoke began curling up and Caleb yanked his hands away in shock, staring at the exposed metal and circuitry in them. The skin had been melted away! "I'm sorry! I forgot to mention what the stuff does!" Wren exclaimed, pulling the doll's hands forward for a closer look, "It's an old recipe for a broth that dissolves metal and other synthetic substances. I keep forgetting that you don't know about these things."

"What on earth is the Wonder Organization doing with acidic _broth?!_" Caleb exclaimed incredulously.

"When the Wonder Organization was still young, it wasn't known as the Wonder Organization but as the Royal Order of Master Chefs. The title of Wonder Chef was considered the highest one that could be attained, so there were multiple Wonder Chefs during that age." Wren explained as he tore off strips of cloth from the end of his cape to bandage Caleb's hands. "The Royal Order would send its members out a few at a time to test and find new recipes. And on some occasions, those same cooks and chefs would find themselves captured by those who would attempt to use the recipes to poison others, or hold them for ransom from the king. The very first Wonder Chef, Eru Tanreht, eventually developed a broth that could be made from ingredients that would be given to prisoners in their food and that broth would melt the prison bars or shackles that held the cooks prisoner." He looked at the bandaged hands glumly. "I keep forgetting that you aren't a Wonder Cook and that you're not human. Why do I keep making stupid mistakes like that?"

"Don't worry about it. I can't feel pain, so it doesn't hurt. I just need to find someone to replace the skin or find a way to do it myself." Caleb replied cheerfully, "Don't be so hard on yourself!"

"I can try to wash off the broth from the gates so we can both push them open." Wren suggested and dug into his pack, "It's going to reduce the amount of water I have, but we can always bother Lloyd for a refill." Taking the canteen he found, the chef poured water onto the metal gates, splashing it and watching the remainder of the broth cascade down and become diluted. "Okay, try it now." Both men pushed on the doors and the gates to the ranch finally opened to them.

* * *

The rooms and halls inside the Iselia Ranch were indeed empty. Power had been cut and few of the facilities were operational. Wren studied the consoles in one room as Caleb watched him with interest. Most doors were still open from the day Lloyd's group infiltrated the ranch to rescue a kidnapped tour guide and shut down the mana reactor to stop an out-of-control Kharlan Tree, which made things so much easier for the three friends to work through. Pepper didn't like the ranch for some reason but followed along inside out of loyalty to her friends.

"Nope, not a single response. We won't be able to do anything until we restore power to this place." Wren sighed after spending a few minutes pressing buttons and flipping switches.

"I didn't know you could work with machines." Caleb remarked, "Not many people outside of Tethe'alla's researchers and engineers know anything about magitechnology."

"That's because you're assuming I lived under the same conditions and restrictions as the people of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla when they were split apart." the blonde replied, "The Wonder Organization is neutral; we didn't bother Mithos and he didn't bother us, so we were able to keep our knowledge and way of life despite having the added difficulty of moving from place to place."

"Except you."

"Yes, well, traveling between dimensions always threw me off. That's how I got stuck on Exire. So where's the power source for this ranch?" Wren asked.

"That would be the mana reactor that's a bit deeper within this building. Every human ranch had one. If we can restart the reactor to this building, then we can get a better understanding of what it is we're actually dealing with." Caleb told him and began walking off, "Let's go, Wren! To unlocking the secrets of Moria!"

"Ugh, we did that already and nearly got eaten by a stupid green dragon." the chef muttered as he and Pepper chased after the doll.

* * *

Without a map and without much direction, both Wren and Caleb quickly got lost. They found empty chests that the Heroes of Union had once raided and poked around in hopes of finding something that had been overlooked. There were a few gels that were left behind and an inactive Cybit unit that Caleb pulled apart to examine. Wren picked up the lump of white silver that was in its shell and studied it.

"What does a machine like that need something like this for?" he asked in confusion. Caleb shrugged as he studied the pieces in his hands and pocketed a few of them. "And what are you doing with bits of that thing anyway?"

"I'm hoping I've got some compatible circuitry with this thing, just in case something breaks in me and I need to replace a circuit-board." the doll replied, "And who knows why Cybits want white silver inside 'em? Maybe they secretly want to buy their own freedom or something." Pepper looked down a hallway and made a strange sound of irritation. The two men looked at her. "Something wrong, Pepper?" the doll asked, concerned. The image of a tight ball of iridescent violet being held in a glass ball appeared in his mind and he blinked at his human friend, who rubbed his head in confusion.

"What does that mean?" Wren asked. Caleb thought about the image carefully.

"The ball seems to be shining. It looks kinda like Mana Fruit, so maybe that's Pepper's way of saying 'mana'. And it's contained, like someone put mana into a tightly sealed cage." he remarked and brightened, "Ah! The mana reactor! Pepper must be sensing what's left of the mana reactor!"

"If she can do that, can she lead us to it?" Wren asked, walking up to the doll and handing him the lump of silver, "It will keep us from getting lost and she might even be able to jump-start the reactor if it needs a mana boost."

"Let's give it a try. Pepper? That thing you found is something we want to go see." Caleb told the mana beast, stroking her snout, "Can you keep sensing it and lead us to where that thing is? There's a Mana Fruit treat for you if you can help us find and fix it!" The mana beast clacked cheerfully and nuzzled him so hard it knocked over the doll. Wren laughed behind his hands.

"That's some strong love, there! It swept you off your feet!" he joked.

"Wren, leave the love-related crap to the idiot former Chosen." Caleb grumbled from where he lay on the floor, "I'm barely dealing with your cooking puns."

"Still stewing over that, huh?"

"On second thought, I lied. I still can't stand cooking puns."

* * *

Pepper led the way down the winding halls and stairs towards the teleporter that would take them to the mana reactor. Caleb spent a great amount of time trying to explain to Pepper about the teleporter. The mana beast stared at him, then at the teleporter, then squeaked. She wasn't buying it.

"It's just going to move you from here to the place where the mana reactor is!" Caleb cried, "How do you expect to get your treat if you don't come with us?!" Wren spent his time waiting for Caleb to work things out with the mana beast by preparing a small snack for himself. After overhearing the exasperated declaration, the chef sighed and stood, holding the bowl of fruit cocktail in one hand.

"I am never gonna get another taste of this while I'm on this journey, am I?" he complained and walked over to the teleporter. The doll watched as Wren stepped onto the violet pad and held out the bowl towards Pepper. "Hey, Pepper! Want some fruit cocktail?" he asked cheerfully, "If you want any, follow me!" With that, he disappeared, warped to the mana reactor. Pepper squawked and leaped after him onto the teleporter, vanishing after him.

"Eh, whatever works, I guess." Caleb muttered with a smile and stepped onto the pad himself.

--

The mana reactor remained dormant as the three friends peered down into it. A huge pit that stretched down through the floor as far as they could see and contained a small mass of mana that remained static in an enclosed sphere connected to many cables and conduits, the chamber seemed just as dead as when it was shut down so long ago.

"So this is the mana reactor." Wren remarked at last, "This place is powered off of this thing? How does it work?"

"You mean, you don't _know_? I thought you knew how to work with magitechnology!" Caleb exclaimed, "I was depending on you switching this thing on after Pepper recharged the mana supply!"

"What do I look like? An engineer? I said I knew _of_ it! I can make use of some forms of magitechnology, but not enough to be _that_ confident about it." Wren shot back, "What about _you_? You have the entire library of Sybak in your head! Use that!"

"I put that in cold storage in the sections of my system that aren't used for my personal memories and programs. I can't just drop everything and access that information any time I feel like it; it takes forever to switch modes!" Caleb returned and looked at Pepper, "Pepper, can you fill that sphere down there with mana from the light or a fire?" The mana beast nodded and floated down to work on the reactor.

"Then I guess I'll try to figure out the control system here." Wren sighed and headed towards the nearby console. Down below them, Pepper perched on the clear sphere and focused on drawing mana from the dim emergency lights of the building. With the power at its low level, there wasn't much illumination to work with, making Pepper's job more difficult. The light freely gave what it could but it would take a while for the sphere to be filled with mana and reactivate.

After a few minutes, the lights flickered around the group. Wren studied the console and smiled as the gauges began to rise. Caleb peered down into the pit and blinked as Pepper circled the sphere, infusing more mana at a faster rate the more the lights came on and strengthened in brightness.

"Okay, we've got enough power to restart the ranch." Wren announced after a few minutes, "I'm going to try to reroute the energy to the buildings, primarily this one, then we can go and check the rooms for anything that can read the crystal."

"All right. Give it a shot." Caleb agreed and whistled for Pepper to return. Wren pressed his fingers against the touch-screen console, watching the graphs alter themselves accordingly as he picked his way through the various commands. Pepper landed by the doll and looked around warily as the lights continued to flicker. "I'm afraid to ask how you're doing." Caleb murmured, watching the lights with the mana beast.

"Then don't. I've almost got it figured out. We're lucky this is written in something I can understand." Wren told him, his attention still on the console, "Meantime, go out and take a look around. See if you can get a head start on finding the data crystal's reader."

"Will you be all right here on your own?" Caleb asked worriedly. Wren waved him off.

"Yeah, I'll be just fine! C'mon, there's nobody here to mess with us so we should be perfectly safe splitting up." the chef replied and returned to pressing at the screen as the lights stabilized.

"Okay, we'll split up for now and meet up again later. Where's the best place to reunite?"

"Dunno, but here's an idea. Pepper can project images into our heads, right?" Wren asked, still working with the computer, "Then, take her with you and when I give you the signal, have her send me a picture of the room you're in. Then I can just teleport there with the Wonder Fork."

"What signal will you send?" Caleb asked. Wren shrugged.

"I'll think of something. Now, get going!" he answered, "I can't afford to lose a lot of time trying to read that crystal and see if there are any recipes on it."

"All right. See you later then." Caleb sighed and signaled for Pepper to follow him. Wren only nodded, still pressing at buttons as the lights flickered once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

The building seemed fully powered as Caleb and Pepper traveled through the halls and rooms, searching for anything that would take the crystal and read it properly. A humming sounded along the walls and the doll paused often to wonder over it. The security devices in each of the major halls had reactivated, the damaging lamps sweeping up and down the corridors to deter intruders. Caleb stuck one hand into the red light to test its potency and pulled back to study it. It felt numb, as if the motions of working his fingers were slowed to a crawl.

"This might not be good on a living being." the doll muttered and turned to Pepper. "Send a message to Wren. Show him one of these lamps and make up something that says it's dangerous. That should be incentive enough to have them shut off." Pepper blinked and went into her trance. After a few minutes, the security devices began to slow and flicker haltingly, finally dying out. "Good girl! Okay, let's keep going."

The two of them managed to come across a storeroom of supplies, which Pepper immediately began to raid for fruits and vegetables. The communications system crackled to life and Wren's voice called out over it.

_"This a good enough signal for ya?"_ the chef laughed, _"I've got the reactor cycling power through the ranch, minus all the annoying security systems. Do you have any idea how fast I had to work just to keep the reactivated Cybits off of your tail?"_

"They came alive?" Caleb questioned in surprise.

_"Yeah, up until I found their self-destruct code. Goddess, that was fun. Do you know how many words half-elves have that mean 'destroy'?"_ Wren griped, _"Insane; I almost punched in the code to blow up this complex. Send me an image of where you are and I'll meet you there."_

"Is that what the buzzing in the walls was?" the doll mused aloud.

_"Oh, you heard that? Sorry. Whoever wrote this was messy; 'Destroy security' 'Destroy **for** security', how the heck am I to know the difference?"_

Another conversation with Pepper later, the Wonder Chef puffed into the storeroom, waving aside smoke with a grin.

"I am the mysterious gourmet, the Wonder Chef! Today's recipe is for Desian Disaster! Or, at least, it almost was for us!" he laughed and looked around, "Well, this is a nice little cache of ingredients. They seem to be in good order, too. I'll just collect some for later."

"So far I haven't found anything that will read the crystal." Caleb reported glumly, "Maybe the half-elves of the Iselia Ranch didn't have that technology. Should we keep searching?"

"Let's give ourselves at least until sundown to see if something here will work." Wren told him, "I don't want to have put my brain through a sieve for nothing."

With all three friends using the maps built into the walls of the ranch, they were able to split up and search the buildings that much more efficiently. Pepper remained with Caleb, the two dependent on one another, while Wren chose to travel on his own, a path he was used to for obvious reasons. Every machine they could work with proved ineffective at reading the crystal. The most Caleb found was a decrepit computer system that contained a setting where the data crystal could fit. When testing it, the computer spat out a garbled mess of data on the screen beside the data crystal's setting.

"Wren! I've got something!" Caleb cried over the communication system, "It's a strange computer, but it worked!"

_"Use the projector to send me an image of where you are!"_ the chef ordered and within a few minutes arrived beside Caleb in a blast of smoke, "So what'd you find?"

"It's garbled data, but it's something." the doll answered and showed him the machine. "There's a few things I can make out, but not anything historically important." Wren looked at the screen with him, squinting at the fuzzy images and writing.

"I can't make heads or tails of this. This language... it's not quite normal. Is this angelic language?" he complained.

"No... this looks like dwarven lettering." Caleb answered and took another look at the screen, "I'll read what I can from this.

"_' ...data crystal reader/writer... shine from the side...'_ Um. _'Attendant of the... Gallery... palm scanner to connect... core AI... information...'_" the doll managed to translate, "I see some keys on the screen, like the ones you were working with on the reactor, Wren. I'll try hitting one of those." Caleb touched a faded outline and studied the new mess of data on the screen. "_'Enter search for...'_ It's a search engine?"

"Oh, goody." Wren muttered in disappointment, then blinked in realization, "Oh, wait! Can you do a search on the Wonder Fork? Maybe this crystal **does** have those notes on its creation!"

"I'll give it a try." Caleb answered and tapped at the screen, inputting the letters carefully. After a moment, the garbled data cleared and a scratchy image of the fork appeared. "Strange. _'...-ology in... the crystal... within... recharged by drawing... Plans to build...'_ Ah, the rest is just too badly translated to read. Sorry."

"That's okay. This is good enough for now." Wren said with a grin, "At least I know that the Moria Gallery holds information about the Wonder Fork. I just wish this machine functioned better."

"Let's take it to someone who can repair it. The Renegades, perhaps?" Caleb suggested. Wren nodded. "Can you teleport us to their bases, or will we have to travel there normally?"

"There are two Renegade bases that I know of in Symphonia. One in the Triet Desert and the other in Flanoir." the Wonder Chef told him, "I can't teleport us to either one directly, and the one in Flanoir is a bit close to the Famine Temple. I'd like to avoid that area for now. The best place to go would be in Triet; I have a teleportation link to the Mirage hotel in the city of Triet."

"What were you doing in a hotel there?" Caleb asked suspiciously as Wren blinked at him.

"What else? Teaching cabbage roll recipes!" he replied. The doll gave him a droll expression.

"You virgin."

* * *

Triet Desert was still in recovery from the shock of losing its ancient ruins. Tourism suffered only slightly, however, as people still wanted to visit the site and learn how the Heroes of Union made history by making a pact with the Summon Spirit, Efreet.

Caleb was tempted to try to make a trip there himself and study the ruins, but decided that it would be best to focus on the problem with the Moria Gallery first. His systems were filled to capacity with Sybak's collected information and he needed a way to store it elsewhere. The ancient reader was safely stowed in a pack that was attached to a makeshift harness on Pepper's back. The mana beast was not happy with her new 'present' but tolerated it as she knew she was helping Caleb and Wren with her strength and size.

The top floor of the Mirage where Wren teleported them also couldn't take their combined weight, and it was a miracle that the rooms and lower floor were all vacant when the wood collapsed under them.

"This isn't going to keep happening the _whole_ trip, is it?" Caleb asked irritably as he sat up in the wreckage. Wren groaned as he squirmed around beside Pepper.

"I wish. Most of my links are in high places as a way of trying to look unassuming." he replied and was pulled free with the doll's help. They left a note of apology and some gald to pay for damages, then quickly snuck out of the empty hotel.

Triet as a whole was definitely startled by the sight of a mana beast walking the streets with a green-clad young man and a chef, but figured that if they could live with a klutzy Chosen, a group of angels that could swoop in for a visit at any time, and half-elves trying not to bite someone's head off, then they could deal with this new weirdness too. The children worked up the courage to approach the mana beast and were captivated once Caleb told them that Pepper loved fruits, demonstrating how loving she could be once she had an apple in her belly. But the sun was setting and the town was beginning to wind down for the night. Soon, the three friends were the only ones left out and about.

"It's late and you look tired. We should check in at a hotel and let you have some rest." Caleb pointed out to Wren as they walked down the sandy streets from the marketplace. The blonde sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I feel like I'm going to fall apart if I don't get into a decent bed soon." he agreed tiredly and looked ahead, "I think there should be a..." Wren stopped abruptly, eyes wide with shock. "Ah!"

"What is it?" Caleb asked and followed his gaze, then jumped back with a startled expression, "No way!"

Walking towards them was a dark-haired young woman, a metal and blue stone fork strapped to her back. She was dressed in deep blue chef's clothes, a buttoned blouse with a pressed skirt as opposed to the more masculine uniforms the other Dark Chefs all wore. The woman's attention seemed to be on something else, as her face gave only a pensive expression despite facing their general direction.

"You!" Wren yelled suddenly and raced forward to confront the woman. Caleb gave a start and hurried after him, followed by Pepper as she gave him a questioning image. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" the woman echoed, snapping back to attention and spotting Wren head her way. She looked surprised for a moment, then jumped to one side, her fork almost leaping into her hand. "Hah! We meet again, Wonder Chef! Do you remember who I am, or are you still stumbling about the world as brainless as before?" the woman declared with a grim smile, free hand reaching into her hip pouch.

"Wren! Don't start anything stupid!" Caleb yelled as the other chef matched the woman stance for stance.

"Ginger Spicewood, you've stolen secrets that belong to the Wonder Organization! As Wonder Chef, I'll bring you in for the crime of abusing your culinary skills!" Wren declared. The woman, Ginger, laughed shortly.

"**You?** As _if_! You're still a baby to the Wonder Organization, and you're not anywhere _near_ my level of cooking!" she taunted, "You're too scatterbrained, little Wonder Chef; those pitiful recipes for lunches and dinners are no match for my devious delights!"

"I see." Wren murmured and smiled almost disdainfully, "You're a confectioner... a candy-maker..." Ginger shook her fork at him angrily.

"I saw that! Don't make fun of my specialty! I'm not like those half-baked buffoons in the Soufflé Brigade!" she yelled.

"Oh, Goddess Martel, shut up with the puns!" Caleb shouted.

"Let's have a cooking battle then! My desserts against your candies!" Wren challenged. Ginger blinked in surprise, almost as if she'd been shocked by the Wonder Chef's words.

"Uh... Not yet, not here." she stammered and looked distracted, "There are things I must do to, uh... mess up your stupid little gang of sub-par cooks!" She glared at Wren again. "But rest assured that we will meet again and then this world will know that the skills of their baby Wonder Chef are _nothing_ compared to mine!"

"Stop calling me a baby! You're not much older than me yourself! And you can't run away from a challenge!" Wren shouted. Ginger only laughed and threw down a handful of something from her pouch. There was an explosion of light that blinded Wren and Caleb, Pepper only absorbed the light, and then there was only a light white cloud of dust floating on the wind. Wren ran up to where Ginger had stood and held his hand out to catch the dust. Caleb joined him, watching sternly while the chef flicked the tip of his tongue against the dust coating his hand.

"It's... confectioner's sugar? And what she used to disappear is..." he murmured and picked up pieces of nuts from the sand. He tasted one. "Honey candied almonds and sugar dusted hazelnuts." Wren closed his fist around the sweets, a faint look of surprise on his face. "She's good..." he added under his breath.

"Wren, let's get you to bed soon. You were in no condition for a battle of chefs and you're lucky she turned tail and ran." Caleb lectured him. The chef looked back at him. "This is more proof that the Dark Chef Alliance is up to something really heinous with those recipes of yours. We have to get the reader repaired fast!"

"Yeah. But at least we're at the hotel. I won't be able to make the reservation under my name. Can you go ahead and do it, Caleb?" Wren asked, "I... need a little time alone to think about things."

"You're not gonna run off on me to find that Dark Chef and have at with a cooking battle, are you?" Caleb questioned suspiciously, "I'll have Pepper chase you down if you try!"

"No. I'll be fine. I'll just be a minute." Wren assured him and watched as the doll entered the building to make the reservation. Pepper walked up from behind and gently nudged him with her snout in concern. He smiled at her. "I'll be okay, Pepper. Really." The mana beast seemed to consider probing him, then decided not to, giving him one last nudge before trotting off towards the stalls. Wren sighed and looked skyward, gazing at the vast field of stars overhead, the handful of nuts still in his fist. "A candy-maker... Hmm..."


	3. Chapter 3

Ch 3

The next day was spent on gathering supplies for the trip into the desert towards the Renegade base northeast of the city. From food and ingredients to last them several days, to protective clothing and plenty of water, the amount of supplies was barely under the weight limit Pepper could handle. The mana beast studied her loaded harness, then experimented with walking and running.

"Careful, Pepper! We need that in one piece, and I don't want you to strain yourself!" Caleb called out to her as Wren wrapped the new cloak around himself and pulled it up to cover his nose and mouth from the sands.

"I think she's finding it to be a useful way of strengthening her body." the chef pointed out, "Carrying more weight will train her limbs to be more powerful and will give her lungs and heart a good exercise. Don't worry so much about her."

"If you say so. Come on, Pepper! Time to go!" the doll called.

Within the hour, the three friends were in the desert, walking beside Pepper as she practiced dissipating the heat from the sands and winds. With FireBlossom blood in her veins, she could have an influence over fire and heat under the blessing of Efreet. When she wasn't scattering the mana to areas outside of their little bubble of safety, Pepper was drawing it into herself, then pushing it into Caleb's crystals for a steady recharge as he functioned. Wren pulled the hood of the cloak further down over his head, shielding his eyes from the sunlight and the sands.

"The rate we're going, we should arrive at the base in another couple of days." Caleb murmured and looked back at his friend, "Wren, how are you holding up?"

"Doing okay. I can combat the heat with fruit cocktails." the chef answered distractedly. "When we get to the base, I'll see if I can ask someone there for help. I don't have much influence with the Renegades, but if I feed enough people we might get someone to fix the data crystal reader."

"I can help pull strings, too. I can pretend to be Zelos and talk a few Renegades into helping us." Caleb added. Wren smiled.

"I suppose it's useful sometimes to look like a celebrity." he commented. Caleb laughed embarrassedly.

"Only when I show myself to the right people. The rest of the time it's just a hassle." he admitted.

Walking through the desert proved to be just as much of a hassle as Caleb's unintentional impersonations. During the time it took for the three friends to reach the Renegade base, nearly half of the food supplies wound up being used to ward off thieves and monsters in the desert. At the doorstep of the large blue dome that served as the base for the Renegades, Caleb hesitated for only a moment before he triggered the door alarm. Wren stuck close by him, the Wonder Fork already in his hand. It took a few minutes, but the doors finally opened to them and a few of the troops inside emerged with swords drawn.

"Who are you and why are you here?" the captain of the guard demanded of them. Caleb went into his impersonation mode.

"Are you guys _stupid_ or something? I'm the Hot and Sexy Chosen, the Great Zelos Wilder!" the doll announced imperiously, "And I have a very important relic that must be repaired immediately!" The guards all looked at each other, then at him.

"You must be joking." the captain told him, "You're not Zelos; you are the automated doll called Caleb!" The doll looked shocked.

"Wh-what? How did you know? I have Zelos' personality and his speech perfectly imitated!" Caleb cried.

"Lord Yuan has given us orders to aid you in your journey to archive the world's knowledge. There's no need for you to impersonate the former Chosen. The questions were just formalities anyway." the captain explained to him, "So what is it that you truly need?"

"Just what I said." Caleb replied, relief on his face, "I have a relic of magitechnology that needs to be repaired so I can get access to a data crystal."

"Who is the person beside you and what is that strange beast?" the Renegades questioned. Caleb blinked and rubbed his head.

"Ah, well. The white and red creature is my friend, Pepper. She is a mana beast of the FireBlossom and Ascension clans." he began, "And this is my human friend, Wren. He's a cook."

"A cook? What need would a doll have of a cook?" one of the soldiers asked in suspicion. Wren pulled down the hood and muffler, gazing at the group. "Ah! You!"

"I am the mysterious gourmet, the Wonder Chef!" Wren announced, "I'm traveling the world with Caleb to master new recipes and protect the culinary community from the influence of the Dark Chef Alliance!"

"You could have just said so." the captain muttered and motioned to the doors. "Everyone inside. We'll see what we can do to help."

* * *

The Renegades sat around a table and studied the broken down computer as Wren spent time in the nearby galley preparing lunches for the group. Caleb had offered to help, but the chef declined.

"I'm working something out. I need some time alone for it." he had simply said and shut himself in the kitchen. The doll sat with the Renegades as Pepper slept nearby, resting after having walked the desert with packs weighing her down. The captain studied the device carefully and shook his head.

"It's beyond my comprehension. Why such a thing is in any human ranch is beyond me." he finally remarked, "This type of magitechnology was lost during the final years of the Kharlan War, and to know that Mithos Yggdrasill had maintained part of it throughout these four thousand years... Suffice to say there are very few of us who can repair it."

"So not even the Renegades can help us with this then?" Caleb asked with a disappointed sigh.

"I didn't say that. I can make a call to Lord Yuan and see if he can send down help from Exire." the captain corrected and looked up as Wren entered the room with a tray filled with platters of food, "Ah! Wonder Chef, you've outdone yourself as always! What's on the menu, friend?"

"Every recipe I gave the Heroes of Union, from sandwiches filled with the kindness of a friend to the morale-boosting paella that was key to helping them compete in the Meltokio Coliseum!" Wren declared with a smile, setting the huge tray onto the table as Caleb scrambled to pull the reader to safety. The Renegades whooped and fell onto the feast, taking portions of everything set before them.

"Wren, what are you doing?" Caleb whispered fiercely, "What does cooking all that have to do with anything?"

"I'm testing something." Wren muttered back and waited until the feasting was done and everyone sat back in contentment. "I trust the meal was to your liking?" the blonde chef asked.

"Delicious as always." the captain remarked, leaning back in his seat, "Though, there was something just a little off. I know that you make the best food in the world, but today must be an off day, no?" Caleb blinked and looked quickly over at his friend, who listened to the Renegade's words with an expressionless face.

"Is there anything else? Anything about the flavor, the texture, the blend of tastes and color?" Wren pressed on. The Renegades all mumbled in a group.

"Just a little off. Tiny bit of something not quite right. You can barely tell unless you were looking for it. Dunno, lemme try that again... yeah, something's lacking just a teeny bit." they muttered and murmured. Caleb continued to watch his friend as Wren's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I see. Then, there _is_ something wrong with me." he whispered.

"I'll send for help to repair your device." the captain told them with a smile, "Right after a nap."

* * *

The nap lasted most of the day and it wasn't until the moon was starting to rise over the desert that a message was sent to Exire. The captain of the guard reported to Caleb and Wren that it would take time for a response to come. Caleb thanked him dutifully, then closed the door to their room and walked back to check on Wren. Since the feast earlier, the chef had seemed to retreat into himself. When they were given the room and a stall for Pepper in case the response to their request took too long, Wren immediately flopped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling blankly.

"Are you all right? Is there something bothering you?" Caleb tried to reach his friend as he sat on his own bed.

"Tell me something, Caleb." Wren murmured, "Say that you were deemed a paragon in something, declared a master of masters in something you loved to work with, and you had every confidence that it was true. Your life revolved around that title and the understanding that you had the skill and knowledge to prove time and again that you were rightfully named." Caleb blinked at him, but the chef wasn't even looking at his friend. "Then, one day, it's all taken away. In an instant. Poof. Gone. But then, it comes right back, almost that same instant. Poof. Here again. Like it was never gone to begin with. But, because of that tiny gasp of time, everyone begins to wonder if you can still back up your claim."

"This is about that ultimatum again, isn't it?" Caleb muttered.

"Wait, wait. I'm not done yet. Everyone is doubting you so you try to prove to them that they're wrong and you fail. You take it in stride, say it was just a small mistake, it would never amount to anything." Wren went on and sighed, "But... it does. You fight it with all your strength and soul, but deep down inside, right there in your heart of hearts... you begin to doubt yourself. Maybe, they were right... and you've lost something very important in that tiny half-gasp of time. Something that made you what you were, something that was the key to why you were the expert, the master, the almighty. Something that was there one moment, then gone, and everyone knew it but you."

"That's why you cooked all that food for the Renegades?" Caleb asked him. Wren nodded. "Did you learn anything from it?"

"I think I'm missing something. I'm not sure what it is though." he began as a knock came on the door, "Ah, who's there?" The door opened and one of the Renegades poked her head in.

"There's been a response! Come to the Rheaird hangar and bring that device of yours!" she exclaimed and disappeared from the door. The two friends looked at each other in brief confusion, then scrambled to get ready and meet with the captain.

* * *

The hangar for Rheairds was crowded with the captain of the guard, his troops, a half-elf and a dwarf all waiting for Wren and Caleb to arrive. Once the two showed up, they were quickly introduced to the newcomers to the Renegade base of Triet.

"This is Vera, she's an engineer from Cruxis who joined the Renegades early in the battle. She designed much of the magitechnology used by Cruxis and the Renegades." the captain introduced the half-elf to both men. Vera smiled and bowed slightly, her mint-green hair pulled back in a braid as she looked prim and proper in her white lab coat and plain brown dress. Next, the captain motioned to the dwarf. "And this is Darleena, a dwarven craftswoman who was once an apprentice to Altessa himself."

"This is a female dwarf?" Caleb cried in shock, staring at the irritable dwarf scowling up at him, dressed in a robe and covered in tools and heavy packs.

"Aye, that I am! Are ye having a problem with me being a woman?" Darleena barked gruffly. Caleb shook his head as Wren tried to contain his laughter. "I've got me eye on the skinny blonde here, thinkin' he can get away with snorting at me looks!" Wren blinked and turned red, shaking his head in denial. "Don't ye be trying to lie to me, young man! _Dwarven Vow Number Eleven; Lying is the first step down the path of thievery!_"

"I'm sorry! Really!" Wren exclaimed, waving his hands in defense as Darleena stepped forward with a growl, "I've just never met a female dwarf before."

"You probably have but didn't realize it." Vera interrupted in a smooth and soothing tone. "Female dwarves and male dwarves are so alike that it's often hard to tell which is which. You usually have to wait for the beard to grow out, if they're young." She turned to her companion, "Darleena, don't be so harsh on the boys. I'm sure they meant no harm."

"Now that everyone's gotten to know one another, I'll lead you all to a laboratory where you can get to work on that thing." the captain of the guard remarked brightly and spun on his heel, leading them out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4

The four people stood around another table, studying the device once again. Vera examined it carefully for damages while Darleena demanded to see the data crystal for it. After a moment of hesitation, Caleb brought it forth and set it down on the table beside the ancient reader. The dwarf looked taken aback at it.

"Aye, that's a big one! Where would ye be findin' a crystal that size?" she declared, eyes turning so large and round the doll swore they would fall out of her head. Wren and Caleb looked at each other, then swallowed.

"Uh... Moria..." Caleb answered cautiously. Darleena looked stunned, then seemed to grant them more respect as she took another look at the crystal.

"Aye... So this is the Moria Gallery. I thought it'd been lost so many millennia ago." she murmured, "I thank ye for bringing it to the light."

"You knew about this?" Wren asked in suspicion.

"Every dwarf who can hold a hammer in his hand as a babe knows about the Moria Gallery, boy!" Darleena lectured, "It's the single greatest treasure the dwarves have! Our entire history and culture, as well as all our lost arts, are contained in that crystal!"

"That's great, but we need to read it!" Caleb exclaimed, "I'm on a quest to gather the world's knowledge and I must read everything in that crystal to save it!"

"And I need to get some dwarven recipes to help the Wonder Organization stand up against the Dark Chef Alliance!" Wren blurted out alongside him. Darleena lit up.

"Ha ha! That explains it! Ye be the current Wonder Chef, eh, boy?" she laughed knowingly, "I shoulda known by the Wonder Fork on yer back. I'm glad to see that it's survived these hellish times before the Heroes of Union set things right. A dwarf crafted that, y'know. Fine piece of work... for a fork."

"It's been damaged and needs new parts." Vera suddenly said, drawing attention back to her and the reader. "I can design the missing components and where to repair the damaged ones. Also, this unit is capable of reading and writing to an artificial attendant unit."

"Which is what?" Wren asked blankly.

"It is an automated doll capable of interacting with the data crystal at its basest level. The designs were used by the dwarves in Cruxis to try building vessels for the Goddess Martel." the half-elf explained.

"I've got that covered. I'm an automated doll built by Altessa. I can try to connect to it and download its information." Caleb told them brightly.

"There be no need for that. Ye won't be able to hold all the information held in that crystal." Darleena pointed out, "Even if yer the doll built to use magic, as the rumors in Exire go, ye don't have the capacity to hold everything." She turned to her companion. "Design the components, Vera. I'll craft the parts to fix the data crystal reader."

"I'll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me." Wren remarked, getting up from the table, "This is something that is far beyond me."

* * *

Long into the hours of the night, the half-elf, the dwarf, and the automatic doll worked together to repair and rebuild the reader/writer device. Wren cooked up several recipes, trying to decipher what it was that was wrong with how he cooked. Pepper happily became his guinea pig and wolfed down every plateful of food brought to her. Unfortunately, she could not quite understand what Wren wanted from her as he watched her intensely, so she would sit up and nuzzle him with every ounce of affection she had, often to the point of flinging him across the room.

The time dragged on as metals were forged into conduits and wire for console boards, designs to improve the device were drawn up, and Caleb tested each new configuration of hardware and software until, just as dawn approached, they were finished.

"Aye. Now, plug in the crystal and see what it does." Darleena murmured tiredly. Pepper sat near them in vague interest as Caleb set the crystal into the space beside the screen and turned a dial that shone a light into the gem. A projector flickered to life just on the other side of the blank screen, and the image of an old dwarf with a pipe in his mouth appeared.

_"This is th' core AI of th' Moria Gallery. Whaddya want?"_ it demanded to know in a gruff tone. Caleb blinked at it in shock. _"Eh, I haven't got all friggin' day, y'know! Make yer choice or git on wit' ya!"_

"Place your palm on that panel there and open your mind to the artificial intelligence in the crystal." Vera whispered to Caleb. He nodded and did as told, closing his eyes as the AI ran a quick check on him.

_"It's been a while since I had an attendant access this level of my core AI."_ a soft voice seemed to echo into Caleb's mind.

_"Who are you?"_ Caleb questioned in the same space.

_"Let me run a brief scan on you for security."_ the voice went on and was silent. _"Hmm. You seem safe enough. You have a lot of data in cold storage, most of it is redundant though. Did you wish to write this data to the Moria Gallery storage system or delete it?"_

_"I don't really know, I just want a way to store Sybak's library of information."_ Caleb answered vaguely.

_"Oh. Well, then I will write the data and clear your system so you may carry additional information."_ the voice went on. After a few minutes, the voice returned. _"The data has been stored and you are cleared for duty. Is there anything else?"_

_"Um, can you bring up how to find or make more data crystals?" _Caleb asked.

_"All right. It's on display for the other living beings. Anything else?"_

_"How about dwarven recipes? Can I download your library of dwarven recipes into my memory?"_

_"Ah, you don't have the capacity for that. I can give you the recipe for Dwarven Pot-Luck Surprise and that's about it."_ the voice reported, _"I suggest getting another data crystal so I can copy the data over for you."_ Caleb thanked the second AI and retreated from the strange conversation, returning to reality just in time to see the female dwarf yank on the end of Wren's cape and pull him down into his seat.

"Git down and stop threatenin' the hologram! It can't do a damn thing to ye!" Darleena scolded.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked Vera in confusion. The half-elf seemed to force a smile and a nervous chuckle.

"Difference of opinion." she explained briefly and returned to studying the screen, writing down information, "This is some very useful information you found, Caleb. Data crystals are just mana crystals that have been processed differently. If we can mine for the mana crystals, then we can have as much storage space as we could ever need!"

_"There be th' data ye bothered me search engine's AI fer!"_ the holographic dwarf grumbled, _"That all ye be wantin' or have ye not had enough fun disturbin' an old man's peace?"_

"Agh! This thing is such a jerk! Can't we change it to something more helpful with less backtalk?" Wren snapped at it.

_"Ye could if ye weren't a cook, Chef-Boy!"_

"I could just dump hot soup all over your circuits! Let's see you survive that, you... you...!" Wren shook his hands angrily at the projected dwarf, slipping into a strange muttering of words that no one understood.

"Wren, leave the AI alone. And knock that off; it's playing havoc with my language modules." Caleb reprimanded in annoyance and turned to the hologram himself, "So, do you really have a library of dwarven recipes or not?"

_"'Course we do! But I ain't displaying it all right now! It'd take th' living beings a fortnight to read it all straight!"_ the dwarf answered gruffly, _"Git another crystal and I'll git ye the recipes!"_

"Finally! Something that I **actually** want from this old piece of junk!" the chef declared, "Let's get another data crystal and copy that library over! I have to keep my position as Wonder Chef!"

"It'll take time to make another data crystal. We don't really have any of the basic mana crystals needed to create one." Vera told him with a sigh. Caleb looked back at Pepper, who was laughing at the antics she saw before her.

"Pepper is a mana beast, she can make mana crystals if she needs to when mine break or crack. I can ask her to make a small one. How big does a data crystal have to be to hold the library of recipes?" he asked.

_"Th' size a yer fist will do fer transport of data."_ the hologram answered. Caleb smiled and turned to the mana beast.

"Hear that, Pepper? Can you make a mana crystal this big?" he asked and showed her his fist, "Just like that. We need it to help Wren." Pepper sat up and sniffed at his hand, then smiled back with a clack. "Okay, she'll get on it."

"How's the integrity on the data in the Moria Gallery?" Darleena questioned the holographic dwarf.

_"All clear and good. I'm no slacker!"_ the dwarf answered and Wren jumped up again.

"If that's an underhanded attempt to insult me, then knock it off! I'm onto you!" he yelled as the dwarf seemed to grin behind its huge bushy beard. "Make yourself useful and tell me what you've got about this thing!" Wren pulled out the Wonder Fork and showed it to the hologram.

_"What thing? Are ye mad? Do I look like I 'ave eyes?" _the hologram snapped as a small device whirred to life beneath its projector and blinked open like a small mechanical eye. A beam of light shot out and traced the outline of the Wonder Fork in Wren's hand, drawing through it as if it wasn't there to make a perfect tracing of the utensil. _"Okay, so mebbe I do 'ave **one** eye, but that be no excuse for whipping yer tools out in front of me, boy!" _the dwarf grumbled sourly.

"I can't believe we're using the vast knowledge and data of the Moria Gallery to find out something about a giant fork." Vera muttered in exasperation, her hand resting against her cheek as she rolled her eyes heavenward, "I never knew how strange the world could be once it was reunited."

"Aye, but tis a special giant fork, lass." Darleena agreed, "And a very strange world indeed."

The eye on the device finished its scan of the fork and popped back out of view as the screen cleared itself and projected new data. The hologram cleared its throat gruffly.

_"There! That be th' data concernin' the Wonder Fork, from its first designs down to th' forgin' process used to make th' damned thing!"_ he announced. Caleb leaned forward to study the screen and blinked.

"That's a lot of work that went into it." he commented. Wren looked exasperated, shaking his head.

"Well? What does it say? It's dwarven-crafted, so those notes should tell us about the limits of the Wonder Fork!" he exclaimed.

"Calm down, laddie, unless you be wantin' a heart attack here and now." Darleena warned, "You named a successor in case something like that happened, eh?"

"Not officially, no." Wren muttered, "Though a majority of the Wonder Organization is crossing its fingers that Regal will take over for me if I louse this up."

"I'm about to read the data. Please listen." Caleb announced and studied the screen carefully, "_'Designed and forged by the dwarven hero, Morius Alterra, for his friend, the human hero known as Eru Tanreht, Wonder Chef. The Wonder Fork is the product of the revolutionary new system of combining the steadfast, lasting art of dwarven craftsmanship with the versatility and power of half-elven magitechnology.'_"

"Magitechnology went into **that**?" Vera murmured in disbelief, staring over at the fork that Wren had placed on the table for further inspection.

"_'The metal used in its forging is dark aionite, mined from the thirtieth level of a long-forgotten cave system, and is capable of aiding in the magitechnology's Dual Crystal System within the handle of the Wonder Fork. Protected by the wood of the Kharlan Tree, the two crystals work in concert to provide the safety and transportation the Wonder Chef may need in future ventures.'_" Caleb went on, "_'The Dual Crystal System was developed to power the Wonder Fork's many abilities. The first crystal is a mana crystal carved with four sides and fitted into the primary slot of the interior handle. The second crystal is a newly discovered amplifier stone from the mine connected to the dark aionite mines, placed in conjunction with the mana crystal to increase the natural powers of the metal.'_"

"That sounds awfully familiar." Darleena grumbled.

"_'The amplifier draws its power from the mana crystal, which in turn is recharged by drawing additional mana from the environment the Wonder Chef is currently residing in, thus ensuring a near limitless source of power for the Wonder Fork. As the primary crystal is based on the mana of fire and earth, the tool contains a single spell that was developed by the half-elven heroine, Kartha Leonaris, who aided Eru and Morius in their battle against the Bane of Abundance with her spells of flame and healing. _Incineration_'s power is far too great to be used more often than necessary, thus the charms engraved upon the interior of the Wonder Fork prohibits its usability unless all other options of escape or combat has been rendered unavailable.'_"

"Who is Kartha?" Wren murmured, brows furrowed in confusion, "And why is she in the legend of the battle against the Famine Lord? Is that a different variation of the story?"

"_'By attracting and repelling magic and mana, the Wonder Fork can pull its wielder and others through spaces and long distances. It also grants the utensil the ability to cloak the Wonder Chef using illusions built by mana surrounding the chef in any location, or mana stored within the crystal itself. This allows the Wonder Chef to disguise himself in the open should a need arise for him to go into hiding._

_"The secondary stone's unique ability to grant unusual new powers has been controlled and modified by use of specifically engraved charms to convert the Wonder Chef and any companions into mana dust that is then carried to predetermined locations by the attraction of the Wonder Fork to another point of mana as known by the wielder's memory. By this charm set, the stone is also able to make contact with the wielder's mental state, thus channeling and enhancing the natural strength and skills of the Wonder Chef. Only those with the skill level of the Wonder Chef class may make the contact with the Dual Crystal System._

_"Plans to build additional Wonder Forks for use by the Royal Order of Master Chefs' Wonder Chef class cooks are currently being negotiated by Eru, Morius, and Kartha in conjunction with the commands of His Highness, King Tethe'alla II...'_" Caleb finished and shook his head, "The rest of it explains in detail how to build a Wonder Fork and where to find dark aionite and the stones for the Dual Crystal System. I'm pretty sure no one's gonna sit through all that..."

"That's an Exsphere! The amplifier stone is an Exsphere!" Vera suddenly cried, backing away from the fork in a hurry. Wren looked more confused as Darleena glared at the tool and Caleb jumped up upon realizing what he just read. "There's an Exsphere inside that thing!"

"An Exsphere? Inside the Wonder Fork?" Wren exclaimed and shook his head, "This is too much for me! First I learn the Wonder Fork is a product of magitechnology, then it's running off of mana crystals and Exspheres, then that the story I've always known since I was a child completely omits a third hero... I can't take it!"

"But this explains so much about the Wonder Fork! Why it is that DuGorge could use it and I couldn't, why it can use _Incineration_ and how you can use those disguises and teleport using it, and even what the limits of its power are!" Caleb told him, alternately fascinated and repulsed by the new-found knowledge he had acquired about the fork.

"I heard!" Wren yelled angrily, "Then let DuGorge take the stupid thing! I don't care! I'm not using anything that is part of this lie I'm living! The Wonder Chef is supposed to be the figure of culinary _salvation_, not another slave to the power of some stupid soul-sucking **rock**!" He turned and fled the room. Caleb started after him, but found himself held back by the coattails of his jacket. Darleena had a tight grip on the cloth and shook her head.

"Leave him be for a bit, son. He's had quite a shock." the dwarf told him softly, "Anyone who realizes that the very symbol of their livelihood, the symbol that represents their desire to preserve the world, is being powered by the very thing that destroyed more lives than were saved is bound to need time to think long and hard about who and what they really are." Caleb looked as if he was about to counter that, then sighed and sat back down.

"I guess so. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about him." he muttered, "He's still just a kid, not much older than Lloyd was three years ago."

"Here's something to consider. If the data on the Wonder Fork is accurate..." Vera began.

"Tis accurate, Vera! The dwarves are _known_ for their accuracy!" Darleena sputtered in irritation.

"...then the Wonder Fork's Exsphere has been used for nearly seven thousand years, and exposed to a steady supply of mana for that long as well." Vera went on as if she never heard her companion's words, "It takes only a few years of constantly drawing mana from a living body for an Exsphere to become a Cruxis Crystal. Therefore, the Exsphere in the Wonder Fork must be a Cruxis Crystal now, and has been since even _before_ Mithos was born!"

"Then it's not really a Cruxis Crystal. Those are made under the eyes and power of Cruxis. The Crystal in the Wonder Fork was created under the power of the Royal Order of Master Chefs, but mainly under the power of Eru, the very first Wonder Chef." Caleb argued, "This isn't a Cruxis Crystal; it's an Eru Crystal." He looked glum. "But the both of you are right; poor Wren. I can't imagine what he's going through right now."

* * *

Pepper trotted past the cooing girls vying for her attention and made her way to the outside of the Renegade base. She sniffed around for a bit and wandered around the dome. After a few minutes of poking around with her nose and her psychic senses, Pepper came upon the blonde chef as he sat on a piece of sandstone, staring out at the desert. She whistled softly to catch his attention as she walked up and sat down beside him. He only glanced aside at her, glum expression unchanged.

"Hey, Pepper." Wren murmured, "Ah, I'm not in the mood to play." The mana beast shook herself off and cocked her head, still looking at him. The chef gave her a wary look. "You're not going to try to probe me, are you?" he muttered. Pepper shook her head. "Thanks."

The two were silent for a while. The mana beast looked up at the stars that were beginning to fade with the coming of dawn. Wren glanced at her again, then followed her gaze up, blinking at sky.

"Pepper, what's it like to travel the world with Caleb and know that not only are you truly free of all ties to anyone, but that what you are doing is _really_ saving the world? That you are completely and totally pure in your actions and even in your abilities and tools?" he finally asked. Pepper whistled in a low tone, projecting to the chef an image of himself wrapped in the downy white feathers that were often associated with angels. "Thanks, but I don't think that works out. I'm using an Exsphere; something that only works if it takes a human _life_ first."

Pepper whistled again as she thought about that, then cocked her head as she brought up the image of the Wonder Fork.

"Yes, that... thing." Wren muttered with a sigh. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm really doing any good for anyone by being the Wonder Chef. Is this what it was like for the Heroes of Union? Is this what it means to doubt oneself?"

Pepper pawed at him and projected the image of a small cauldron filled with fruits and vegetables. Wren couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head at her antics.

"You really want me to cook something up for you, huh?" he murmured, "Well, you can't really complain about my cooking, so I guess I will." He stood and began to follow the now happy Pepper back into the base. After a moment, Wren paused and looked back at the rising sun, worried, "But can I really keep calling myself the Wonder Chef, now that I know what it is I hold in my hands...?"

* * *

Vera and Darleena were already asleep in rooms of their own when Wren returned to the lab. Pepper finished her snack of fruit cocktail and went off to lap up the attention of the half dozen or so women that cooed over her cute appearance. Caleb sat alone at the table, surrounded by the remains of several tools and pieces of material. The doll himself had his eyes closed, one hand on the flat panel just below the keyboard. Wren studied the forgotten items on the table, then noticed that some of the pieces were the scraps of red cloth that had been bandaging Caleb's acid-burned hands.

"He must have gotten them repaired." he murmured and looked for the fork. It was leaning against the wall near the automatic doll. He reached out and collected it, trying not to gag at the idea of an Exsphere holding some poor person's soul inside the handle.

"It's not what you think." Caleb's voice suddenly called out. Wren jumped and spun around, startled. The doll stood behind him, a small data crystal in his hand and a saddened expression on his face. "It's not like that at all. Exspheres drain the mana from a living being out of loneliness, and in draining that mana, it also pulls that person's soul to it and awakens its power. The Exsphere in the Wonder Fork has been pulling mana from the mana crystal for seven millennia. There is no soul in that stone, only the raw power of the mana it has collected over those many thousands of years."

"So no one died to make the Exsphere that runs this?" Wren asked hopefully. Caleb nodded his affirmation. "But I still feel like it's not enough to justify my using an Exsphere."

"Then think of it this way. Exspheres become Cruxis Crystals by evolving when they've collected enough mana. After seven thousand years of sapping mana from the crystal, the Exsphere in the Wonder Fork has evolved." Caleb offered, "But it's not a Cruxis Crystal. Cruxis had nothing to do with it. And it's not a Wonder Crystal or some other nonsense; the Wonder Organization didn't exist at the time the Wonder Fork was forged. It's an Eru Crystal."

"Eru Crystal?"

"I named it that because it was Eru, the First Wonder Chef, who used his own innate strength to make the Wonder Fork the symbol of the future Wonder Organization." Caleb went on and smiled, "In fact, I believe that, no matter what you think or say, the Wonder Fork itself was never the symbol of the Wonder Organization. It is the one who _wields_ it, the Wonder Chef, that is the _true_ power behind it. Your strength, your skill, your love for what you do, _that's_ what makes the Wonder Fork powerful; _that's_ what protects those in the culinary world." Wren blinked at him, then looked down at the fork again.

"And if I no longer have that strength? That skill?" he murmured softly, "What then?"

"As long as you have the love for cooking, that is all the power you will ever need." the doll told him and held out the data crystal, "Here. This is a copy of all the dwarven recipes I found in the Moria Gallery. Take it back to the Wonder Organization. Be the Wonder Chef even as you are Wren or Adam Voraci. As long as you know who and what you are, and possess that love for cooking, you will **forever** be Wonder Chef to those who see that love in you."

"It's when you say things like that that I wonder if maybe you are reading my soul the way Pepper reads my mind." Wren muttered as he took the crystal, "But thanks... I needed something like that to help me figure out what to do next. I'll take it back to headquarters but what are _you_ gonna do?" Caleb grinned.

"What else? This time _I'm_ going with _you_! I told you that once I had the Moria Gallery accessible I was going to absorb the data from the Wonder Organization's archive!" the doll told him brightly.

"What about the Moria Gallery? Are you going to leave that here? What about keeping it safe?" Wren asked in confusion. Caleb waved the questions away.

"Darleena and Vera will be taking it back to Exire with them when they wake up. Yuan knows where Dirk and Altessa are in their own journey, and the crystal and reader will be of more use to them now than to me. Also, once you upload the recipes from that crystal to the Wonder Archive, I'm gonna need it back." he answered, "The girls made a smaller version of the reader/writer device for me to have, and that data crystal can hold a lot of information. I can use it to store extra data when I find it."

"All right. Let's find Pepper and go to the Wonder Organization. Let's go to the secret headquarters where I've lived all my life." Wren sighed and looked at the crystal. "I hope I pass the test this time."


	5. Chapter 5

Ch 5

When the smoke cleared, Wren, Caleb and Pepper were all standing in a heavily forested area. Caleb looked around in confusion as Wren muttered angrily to himself and rubbed his head.

"Agh, sorry! I forgot to tell you that I can't teleport us directly into the Wonder Organization's headquarters. Safety reasons and all. I stopped using my Hima teleportation link for the same reason." he apologized and pointed at the mountain path nearby. "We have to walk there and find a small shop."

"A shop?" Caleb echoed as the three of them began walking up the rocky trail, "In Hima? What would you be doing with a shop in Hima?"

"Well, it's a front." Wren explained, "I have an uncle who is the shopkeeper. He sells utensils and customizes, too." Caleb stopped abruptly, blinking rapidly.

"Customize? You people can get customized utensils?" he asked in shock and looked almost tearful, "My Goddess, what _more_ can you do to uproot any sense in this world? Do you have a summoner cook who goes around making pacts with Kitchen Spirits?" Wren paused and looked back at him flatly.

"You don't want me to answer that." he replied.

* * *

Hima seemed almost deserted, but then it always looked almost deserted. There weren't many people and buildings there, and whatever was there was so old and so unattended that most of them didn't even garner a second glance. Wren looked around as the group arrived in the village, then made his way towards a ramshackle little shop set along the wall of the mountain. Caleb followed him along, whistling to keep Pepper in line.

The interior of the shop seemed almost as bad as the outside, but the merchandise was at least good quality. The shopkeeper yawned as the three friends entered the building, Pepper needed to squirm a bit to fit through the door and wisely chose to stay right where she was. Caleb looked around and then glared at Wren.

"You _still_ don't have knives in stock?" he growled. Wren only rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation.

"Welcome to the Egg Beater. How can I be of service?" the shopkeeper drawled out.

"Uncle, it's me!" Wren exclaimed, "I need to get home and report that I've found ancient recipes for the Organization to master!" The shopkeeper suddenly snapped into alertness.

"Adam! You actually found something?" he cried and the blonde nodded with a smile, "I knew you could do it!" The shopkeeper then spotted Caleb and Pepper, and his demeanor changed. "Who is this and what is that?" he demanded of the young chef.

"This is Caleb, my best friend. And this is a mana beast named Peppermint FireBlossom, and she's also a friend of mine. They helped me find the recipes." Wren told him, "I want them to go with me into the mines."

"I don't think that's a good idea." the shopkeeper muttered, "You know how your father is when it comes to..."

"Father will understand, Uncle." Wren interrupted stiffly, "It's because of my friends that I even stand here. I almost _died_ in Moria trying to find these recipes, as demanded by the Council of Gourmet Chefs." He leaned on the countertop and tapped his fingers against the wood. "Also, I am still the Wonder Chef, no matter what anyone else says. I say that I want Caleb and Pepper with me when I enter the mines." the blonde added in a low authoritative tone.

"All right, _sir_. Mind you, I'm only backing down because of that title." the shopkeeper sighed, "I just hope you know what you're doing. Eve hasn't come either. She says she refuses to believe that you've lost focus in your cooking." The man turned and pulled on a wooden spoon that was on display behind him, opening an entire wall that was set against the side of the mountain.

"My sister has more faith in me than anyone in the Organization does right now." Wren murmured with a half-hearted smile, "I'm grateful for that, if nothing else." He walked towards the secret entrance to the Hima mines and motioned to the startled doll and mana beast. "Come on! I have to give this to the Wonder Cooks and you need access to the archive!" he added, already regaining courage just knowing the two of them were there with him. Wren didn't wait for a response, just headed into the darkness with all the bravado he could muster. Both Caleb and Pepper looked at each other, shrugged, then made their way after the blonde chef.

* * *

Hima mines sprawled several levels and was divided into two sections for safety. The first section was for normal mining, meant to keep people in the village busy with their work. The second one was set deep into the mountain, with a network of air tunnels and light fixtures built by means of magitechnology and dwarven craftsmanship together. It was there that the Wonder Organization made their home and base, a place where they could gather to train and master recipes before going out to spread what they had learned and protect the people and upcoming cooks from the Dark Chef Alliance. It was there that the Wonder Chef Family resided, teaching their craft to the new recruits and helping other chefs further master their own unique recipes while at the same time continuing to reinvent their menu of older dishes to keep up with the Dark Chefs.

News of the Wonder Chef's return spread quickly and, as Wren made his way straight to the main hall to meet with the family and the Council that had approved his original mission, more and more cooks began sticking their heads out of kitchens and classrooms to watch him walk by in awe and surprise. Pepper was hard to keep a handle on, as the smells of so many dishes being cooked up was incredibly enticing to her. Caleb kept a steady grip on her green sash, the bell ringing loudly as she tried to dart off at random times to see what new foods were being created. The doll was fascinated by the Wonder Organization's headquarters, studying the white walls and ornate designs carved into the trim to provide blessings and protection on the residents.

"Dwarven handiwork. Amazing! It's the same style as the Moria mine and the Famine Temple! More proof of the connections between the Wonder Organization and the Moria Dwarves!" he whispered as Wren reached the end of one hall and pushed open a set of heavy oak doors. He followed along with Pepper as the chef walked down a path of red carpet, past banners displaying the crest of the Wonder Chef and its Organization, a white cauldron with a candle-lit 'W', past startled cooks who looked up from their pots and pans, still clutching various utensils and ingredients in their hands. At the end of the path was a stage where a table of cooks stood off to one side and a group of two women and an old man stood on the other end. In the center, waiting with a stern expression on, was another elderly gentleman, dressed in simple chef's clothes of pure white and shining brass buttons, a chef's hat set properly upon his head. Wren stopped before him, not ascending the stairs to the stage.

"Father, I'm home." he announced, "And I've brought with me my two closest friends, Caleb and Pepper. I wish for them to be guests here and have access to our archives." The Wonder Cooks murmured to each other in surprise. They fell silent when the elderly cook turned his gaze on the crowd.

"They can be guests, but why should these outsiders have the right to view our history?" he questioned in a quiet tone, "And what of your mission? Have you succeeded, my son... or failed?" Wren blinked and seemed to consider his words carefully.

"Caleb is on a journey to archive the world's knowledge, in case another disaster, like the one Mithos caused, should ever occur to Symphonia and force a loss of history." he explained, "I don't want the same fate that befell Tethe'alla and Sylvarant to fall on the Wonder Organization. We must always stand to protect the health and the people of this world."

"I see. The decision will be made after you have made your announcement." the elderly chef answered, "I will ask once more. Have you succeeded or failed in your mission?" Wren produced the small data crystal, surprising the cooks again.

"I have succeeded, Father. I hold in my hand the library of dwarven recipes as recorded by the Moria Gallery. There is enough information here to begin the experimentation process right away." he declared, "I have kept my promise and proven my skill in the quest to find new recipes!"

"Then judgment is final. Here and now, as agreed by the Council of Gourmet Chefs, my son, Adam Voraci, **remains** titled the Wonder Chef from this day until he can no longer hold such responsibility!" the elderly cook exclaimed powerfully, "Bon appétit!"

"_Bon appétit!_" the other Wonder Cooks called out and returned to working madly at their recipes. The table of chefs didn't look too pleased and whispered among themselves as Wren bowed his head gratefully. Caleb cheered happily as the blonde climbed the steps and stood before his father, waiting.

"Have I... done well?" Wren whispered softly and looked surprised to have the elderly chef step forward and embrace him in a hug.

"In my eyes, you **always** do well. Whether you are Wonder Chef or not, you are and will always be my son, Adam." the older man told him and pulled away, baby blue eyes shining with pride, "Your mother and grandparents are waiting for you. Go and speak with them." Wren smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Father. This time, I'll prove to _myself_ that I am capable of being Wonder Chef. I still have to regain my true skills." he replied and ran to greet the rest of the family. For a moment, the elderly chef watched him, then turned a new stern gaze at Caleb, walking down the steps to face him on level ground.

"As for you... you are the one Old Jack says helped Adam escape the Dark Chefs, correct?" he asked. Caleb blinked and nodded. "I am Estéfan Voraci, the former Wonder Chef during my generation of cooks. Thank you for protecting my son. Have you come for a reward?"

"No, Sir Voraci." Caleb answered firmly and with a shake of his head, "I saved your son without ever knowing he was the Wonder Chef because I saw a young man in need of help, not someone in a position of power. I became his friend because he needed one, not because I could influence him." He smiled up at the gentleman chef. "Wren is Wren. To you he may be Adam, to the world he is the Wonder Chef, but to me, he's just my friend Wren. I'm thankful to have a friend like him." Estéfan seemed to accept the response and told him where to go to find the archive before turning back to the stage to join his family. Caleb watched them interact for a bit longer, then turned to Pepper. "Well, let's go see what the Wonder Organization has stored in their data crystal. If what Orator said is true, and I don't doubt him at all, then this group must have the most complete history of Symphonia. After all, they've been here for seven thousand years!"

* * *

The Wonder Organization's archive consisted of a room filled with cookbooks collected and written over the length of their existence and a single data crystal set into a reader/writer unit that archived many more, as well as histories, legends and governing 'laws' concerning the Wonder Organization. As Caleb sped through the books as carefully as he could, then made contact with the AI of the data crystal, it became apparent that this collection wasn't as complete as he had hoped. There were mentions of Mithos and his companions here and there, usually marked with dates and a list of recipes that had been taught to the group. Many thoughts and facts concerning the sudden splitting of the world were also recorded, as well as the decision to build two bases and move the Organization as needed from one world to the other. As the flourishing world always seemed much healthier overall, cooking-wise, than the declining one, the Wonder Chef of that time would move the entire Organization over a bit at a time in order to try to balance the worlds out. Eventually, they learned to just train two sets of Wonder Cooks, one for each world, so only the Wonder Chef would need to pass between them to maintain stability.

Mithos took notice of the earliest attempts to balance Sylvarant and Tethe'alla and used his power over the Eternal Sword to bring the Wonder Chef before him. After a great deal of talking, Mithos offered a deal with the Wonder Organization. The Wonder Chef would not try to alter anything in Cruxis' plans to maintain order and create a vessel for Martel by spreading information other than recipes to those who lived in whichever world the Organization dwelled in at the time. In exchange, Mithos would not purge their archives and told the Desian groups to leave Wonder Cooks out of their captures for human ranches, as he knew of the history behind the first Wonder Chef and respected the actions of those who appeared to be following his ideals.

The Wonder Chef accepted, of course, as it was reported that any other answer would have resulted in the chef becoming the next victim bound for testing at a human ranch. The resulting imposed neutrality to all races was pleasing to Mithos, who considered it a sideways step to the end of discrimination. After several centuries had passed, the neutral mindset of the Wonder Organization became second nature and it was often forgotten exactly why they only concerned themselves with just recipes when dealing with half-elves, dwarves, elves and humans.

"Well, this tells me a lot more about the Wonder Organization, I guess." Caleb sighed as Pepper slept nearby, carefully curled up to avoid knocking anything over. "I'll get this saved to the data crystal. History is history, no matter whose it is." He turned at the sound of the door opening and blinked as Wren walked in, dressed like his father with a red neckerchief and his own chef's hat bearing the golden candle-lit 'W'. "Nice outfit." the doll commented with a grin.

"Ah, this?" Wren stammered out, turning red, "I always get kind of embarrassed in this outfit. It's what I wear when I'm home." He sighed and shook his head, partly out of exasperation. "I go out and see all the other people wearing normal clothes and I wish I had some like that. It's all chef's clothes here in the mines. Weird, huh?"

"What about that green and white outfit I usually see you in?" Caleb asked, "That looked like normal clothing to me." Wren thought about that.

"Oh, those. Those are my traveling clothes, and I guess they do look halfway normal. I was the one who told the tailors what to make for me, and I must have mentioned my wish for normal clothes or something." he murmured and shrugged. "Either way, I prefer my travel clothes over this." Caleb stood and let him sit at the device, then watched as he plugged the crystal into the second setting beside the archive crystal already in the reader/writer. "Huh. So we really did have one of these things. I wonder why no one told me about it or showed me where it was hidden?" Wren muttered and sighed again, irritation creeping back into his tone, "At least they brought it out for you. I really should talk to the Council about denying me information; that's not a good indicator of my popularity." He scowled for a moment as the data began transferring, then looked up at the doll brightly. "So, did you get it all down? Read every cookbook, memorized every ounce of data about how you shouldn't add too much flour to dough else it turns into a lump of cheap concrete?" Wren asked with a grin.

"Wren, please don't remind me of what I just crammed into my head." Caleb pleaded almost tearfully, "It just shows me that I _really_ didn't have the skill to use the Wonder Fork in Moria! And a quarter of these books I couldn't understand at all! I had to record them as images, page by page, because they were written in some weird language I've never seen before! At least they're saved..."

"Now you know how I feel around dwarven and angelic languages." Wren pointed out, pulling free the data crystal from his pocket. A strange look flickered on Wren's face as he set the device to copying the dwarven recipes. "Speaking of saving things... I've been meaning to do this since we first started this journey." he murmured and stood up from his seat, "You don't have **all** the data concerning the Wonder Organization. There's still one bit of information left." Caleb blinked.

"But I've double-checked everything in the archive." he insisted as the blonde studied him carefully.

"Could you come down a bit? You're taller than me." Wren asked. Caleb sighed in exasperation and bowed slightly. After taking a deep breath, the Wonder Chef leaned forward and began to whisper into the doll's ear. After a few minutes of hushed speaking, Wren stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief. "There, that's everything." Caleb straightened, rubbing at his ear subconsciously as he eyed the chef.

"Okay... What was that about? I didn't find a copy of that anywhere in the archive." he remarked. Wren looked vaguely uncomfortable as he stared down at his shoes.

"Th-that's because it's forbidden to record it anywhere. What I just t-told you, and you can't ever tell anyone, is the Ultimate Recipe." he murmured softly, "Please save it to the archive, but put it under encryption, with a passcode only a Wonder Chef can know."

"Wren! I thought you aren't supposed to tell _anyone_ other than your successor that recipe!" Caleb hissed in shock.

"I _know_! If anyone finds out, I'm as good as _dead_!" Wren replied fearfully, "Not even my father will have the power to stop my exile then! And that's if I'm even _lucky_ enough to get exiled! I could be straight out executed for this!" Caleb stared down into the single deep blue eye that looked out from the blonde hair hiding his friend's face, then sighed almost painfully.

"Wren, you've gotten me in a position I never wanted to be in, y'know." he told the young chef, "I'll save it to the crystal, under the best encryption I can, but right after that, I'm purging my own memory of this whole conversation." Wren looked startled.

"You can _do_ that? You can erase your own, _personal_ memories?" he cried and clapped his hands over his mouth, turning almost white.

"I can, but I never had to before. This is dangerous information that you've given me, Wren. I can easily dump the data that's in my cold storage system, but my personal memory of this whole conversation also contains that recipe because you didn't warn me about it. I have to purge that as soon as possible." the doll explained, "Once I've done that, you must promise never to bring it up to me again." He looked at the data crystal. "It's finished the upload of the dwarven recipes. Now I'm going to have it copy the data from my memory directly to the crystal so any alarms in the Wonder Archive won't go off."

"Will it have enough room to hold it all?" Wren asked faintly, holding the edge of a table to steady himself. Caleb placed his palm on the reader/writer's scanner.

"For safety, I'll put in the Ultimate Recipe first, under heavy encryption. What do you want the passcode to be?" the doll asked. Wren gazed dully at him, seeming to see through him.

"Kartha, the half-elf who created _Incineration_. She's not in the legends held in the Wonder Organization, so I'll tell the truth to my successor, and she will be remembered as the key to the Ultimate Recipe if the Wonder Chef Family falls." he decided and sat down, "I think I'm going to be very ill."

"Don't. You'll make me worry when I wake up." Caleb told him sternly and looked away, closing his eyes as he began the transfer. Pepper twitched in her sleep, aware of the changes in emotions around her and not comfortable with it at all.

* * *

It was some time later that Wren saw Caleb pull his hand away from the device and open his eyes. The doll blinked a few times, then looked back at Wren. He looked surprised, then smiled.

"Hey, Wren! I didn't hear you come in. I've uploaded what I've learned into the secondary data crystal, but it looks like I don't have enough room. So some of the data is still in my memory." he told the chef. Wren managed a smile back.

"Really? I guess we'll have to make another data crystal to store the rest of it." he replied and hid his hands behind his back, wishing they didn't tremble so much. "So, you got everything inside the crystal and yourself, huh?"

"Yup. What's up, Wren? You look like you're about to be sick." Caleb asked worriedly as he unplugged the small crystal and stuck it into his pocket.

"Ah, it's this outfit I'm wearing. I've never really liked it. I prefer my traveling clothes over this outfit I usually wear when I'm here." Wren answered quickly. Caleb studied him strangely, then grinned almost cat-like.

"Aw, too bad! I think it makes you look _adorable_! What a _cuute_ little chef-boy!" he teased. Wren shot him a deadly glare, face turning red with embarrassment as Caleb laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." the doll apologized and looked over at Pepper with a smile. "At least Pepper behaved herself. So, what will you be doing now, Wren?"

"I'm going to talk to my father about some things. And I need to stay here to learn how to cook those recipes we found." the young chef replied, "Traveling with you was a lot of fun, even the parts where we barely escape with our lives!" He relaxed and laughed at the memories. "No way am I ever forgetting all that!" Caleb tapped on Pepper's snout and watched her get up with a yawn and stretch.

"Well, the two of us should be heading out, then. Once I've stored the rest of the Wonder Archive, I'll find a place to hide the crystals for safekeeping." the doll remarked, "Maybe in Altessa's cave or a new one that's undiscovered by anyone."

"Where will you go next on your journey?"

"I think I'll go to each of the Summon Spirit Seals in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, but I'll start with the ones here." Caleb answered, "I know that they were destroyed long ago, but I can try my luck at entering them with Pepper to help me. First, I'll speak with Lloyd and his family about the seals and see if they have any information that will help me get into the ruins."

"All right. Good luck and... _arrivederci_." Wren murmured and offered a hand to the doll. Caleb shook hands with him, gave him an odd expression at the words, then whistled to Pepper. Both left the library, ready to continue their quest around the world. Wren stayed in the room, reflecting on the one-sided conversation he had with Pepper while watching Caleb destroy his own memory. "Pepper... keep your promise to me..."


	6. Chapter 6

Epilogue

Flying to Iselia from Hima wasn't as hard as Caleb thought. The two villages were fairly close to each other as long as one was flying between them. The forest remained as lush as ever and Pepper seemed eager to get to the trees. Once on the ground near the house, Caleb let the mana beast loose to chase after a myriad of smaller animals. He scratched his head as he watched her pounce a rabbit.

"I didn't know that she could hunt for meat, too. But then, I guess that's what she's pretending to do whenever we play Fetch." he murmured in surprise and headed for the house. He hadn't even had the chance to knock on the door when he heard the sounds of crashing and small explosions. "Oh no! A monster attack!" Caleb cried and burst open the door, already calling up a spell, "_Aqua_... huh?"

Tables were overturned, chairs were pierced through walls, and the three swordsmen of the Heroes of Union were racing up and down the stairs. Caleb stopped his spell and watched in confusion as they dashed in and out of rooms, slamming doors and screaming at one another. He blinked a few times, then folded his arms over his chest in irritation.

"Hey! What the hell's going on in here?" he yelled and the three swordsmen halted suddenly and stared at him. "Zelos, you **idiot**, why are you running around with that pot?"

"Because these two wimps won't eat the Wonder Chef's spaghetti." the former Chosen grumbled, glaring at both Kratos and Lloyd as they took cover behind an upended table.

"You guys have spent the last _week_ or so just running around with a pot of spaghetti?" Caleb snapped incredulously.

"We're very bored angels." Kratos declared matter-of-factly as Lloyd nodded with a smile, "The world doesn't need saving at this time, Zelos insists we're not all fully well enough to continue the Exsphere collection journey..." The rusty-haired seraphim seemed to snap at this point, grabbing and pulling at his hair with both hands, "And I'm about to go berserk if I don't get out of here! I can't take cabin fever!" Caleb stared at the group, then shook his head.

"You're all insane. But I need to talk to you three, so here's the deal." the doll told them in a low, controlled voice, "I'm going to close this door. I'm going to count to ten, then I'm coming back inside. If this place still looks like a disaster zone when I stick my head back in, then I'm hanging all of you by your fluffy little angel wings." With that, he shut the door on them and began to count.

Once he hit the promised number, Caleb returned to the house and peeked inside. The main room looked decent and everyone was seated at the table, though Zelos wielded a spoon filled with spaghetti and continued glaring at the other two men barricaded behind a wall of potted plants.

"I'm looking for access to the four seals in Sylvarant so that I can gather more information about the world. Do you have any maps or details I might need to do that?" Caleb finally asked them.

"Zelos does." Lloyd blurted out, peeking between two stalks of bean plants.

"_Lloyd!_"

"Well, you do! He was drawing out what the temples looked like when we had Sheena making all those pacts." Lloyd added.

"Can I borrow them? I might run into trouble getting into those places." Caleb asked. The other redhead sighed and shrugged.

"Sure. I don't have much use for them myself anyway. I was just doing it to help out the Renegades and to keep myself busy." he replied and got up to retrieve the sheets.

"Oh, Caleb, where's Wren?" Lloyd piped in suddenly. Caleb blinked in surprise.

"That came out of nowhere. He's back home with his family." he replied.

"That's good. Hey, Dad, let's hide the spaghetti before Zelos gets back!" Lloyd whispered brightly. Kratos grinned and nodded almost childishly, and the two of them scurried to grab the pot and vanish into another room. Zelos came back downstairs minutes after the plot was enacted, rolls of parchments in his hands.

"Okay, these are the maps of all the temples we've been in..." he began and looked up from one to take in the room. He looked around once, then gave Caleb a droll expression. "Let me guess. They took the pot." Caleb gave him a helpless shrug, smiling sheepishly. Zelos rolled his eyes in exasperation as he handed over the rolls. "Those two can be such a _pain_...!" he growled and spun around, running off towards the room the others disappeared into, "Lloyd! Kratos! Get back here!"

"I'm glad I only look like him." Caleb remarked with a chuckle and left the little house, whistling for Pepper.

* * *

They returned to Triet within a few hours. Caleb let Pepper stay in a nearby stall until he could find out where the Seal of Fire rested. Asking around, he gathered a lot of interesting information about the city itself, its history and culture, and a myriad of small legends and rumors. Returning to Pepper to see how she was doing, Caleb was surprised to see that the mana beast held a newly formed data crystal in her mouth.

"I thought those can only be made by dwarves refining the mana crystals!" he remarked and Pepper set the crystal down, clacking with pride, "But I guess Ascension clan mana beasts can do whatever they want once they figure out how, huh?" He collected the crystal, set it into the small reader/writer unit and placed his fingertips on the tiny panel, allowing the device to pull the new information and the rest of the Wonder Archive from him into the crystal.

"That does it. I'm cleared for new data." Caleb remarked and stowed the data crystal in his pocket with the first one. The mana beast whistled, then made an irritated sound, projecting the image of a dark wooden fork in Caleb's mind. "Wha-?"

"Hey, still here?" Ginger's voice murmured behind the doll. Caleb jumped and whirled around, startled.

"You? You're still in Triet? I thought you ran for it that last night I was here!" he exclaimed. Ginger shrugged, her fork strapped to her back. "If I were you, I'd hop the first dragon out of here." Caleb added in a growl, "There's no place for a Dark Chef anywhere in the new world."

"Oh, get over yourself. You're not even a Wonder _Recruit_, what makes you think you've got anything on me in combat cooking?" Ginger retorted, her arms folded over her chest. She drummed her fingers on one arm thoughtfully. "Ah, speaking of Wonders... that blonde kid isn't around, is he?" she added as if in passing.

"If you're trying to use your candy wiles on Wren, that's not gonna happen." Caleb told her, "He's already safe within the walls of the Wonder Organization Headquarters." Ginger grinned.

"Honey, anywhere the Wonder Chef goes is never safe from me. All I have to do is feed my Bleat Treats to enough cooks and Blondie is in my grasp once again." she purred.

"Ugh! Look, lady, I don't have time to deal with your weird obsession with Wren! I've got ruins to investigate and the Wonder Chef Family has him safely protected from the likes of you!" Caleb snapped as he let Pepper out of her pen, "So beat it!" He winced and held up his hand as Ginger moved to say something, "Wait, wait. On second thought... don't beat it. Just get out of here."

"Tch. Fine. Be that way. I was just here to offer you a bit of information that you... _and_ Bird-Boy... might be interested in." the Dark Chef returned as she turned on her heel and began to walk away. "But I shall do as the great Chosen says and get out..."

"Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask..." the doll ordered himself sternly as he began walking in the opposite direction, "Agh! Wait!" Ginger paused and looked over her shoulder, an expression of mock surprise on her face. Caleb had also stopped, glaring at his shoes in self-disgust before turning to face the woman. "I collect information. What is it that you have?" he called out.

"The Alliance is pooling its resources for what appears to be the final push for domination. I haven't got all the details myself, but I'm pretty sure their latest scheme will be what will force the Wonder Chef to step down." Ginger told him with a half-smile, "It's been DuGorge's obsession to wield the Wonder Fork once more, and permanently this time. You know what power does to people."

"And your price for this is...?"

"I'll write out an IOU and hold it over your head. It'll be fun. You'll see." Ginger laughed and vanished in a burst of powdery white confectioner's sugar. Caleb looked at Pepper, who gave him a droll expression with an added projection of a mule.

"Don't start with me. I didn't sell out Wren, and this kind of information might actually be useful." the doll griped, "Next time I see him, I'll deliver the message and ask why it is that I keep getting caught between Dark Chefs and Wonder Cooks whenever they get into one of their spats."

* * *

The Seal of Fire seemed to do weird things to Pepper. She spent time working on using _Lethal Flora_on random monsters as Caleb picked his way down the wreckage of the ruins. He poked around for a minute as he tried to find an entrance. Sitting on one of the stones that used to be part of the temple, Caleb unrolled the corresponding map and stared at the parchment. There were red scribbles and lines all over the sheet in addition to what looked like stick figures of the Heroes of Union and Efreet. One corner of parchment was dedicated to a stick figure of Kratos with several magic swords thrust through its body and head.

"Ah, must be before they got into that adoptive Father-Son mentality." Caleb muttered as he turned the parchment one way and the other, "How the hell am I to read _this_? What is that? A Fire Element or a rubber ball?"

Pepper blasted another plume of fire into the air and clacked proudly at the smoke she quickly shaped into an apple before it dissipated into nothingness. She looked down at Caleb and floated into the pit, a questioning look on her face. The doll looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey, Pepper. I'm still trying to find a way inside." he told her, stroking her snout. The mana beast looked at the wreckage, raised an eyebrow, and glared at it, planting all four feet firmly into the ground. "Pepper? What are you doing?" Caleb asked in suspicion and shouted in surprise as stones and pillars were flung over them into the sands. With each group of wreckage that was hurled away, a path was beginning to open for them. "Keep it up, Pepper! We almost have a way in!"

Finally, a cavern-like entrance was revealed and Caleb pet his friend affectionately, hugging her snout and nuzzling the mana beast.

"Great work, Pepper! Thanks!" he exclaimed and hurried into the tunnel with the mana beast trotting happily along behind him.

The interior of the Fire Seal was partially collapsed and still held a great amount of heat as magma seeped up from portions of the temple. Caleb held up his arms defensively at the first blast of hot air, then blinked as the blast blew apart before it could touch him. For a moment, he was confused, then he looked back at Pepper, who smiled and nuzzled him. He returned the grin.

"Thanks, Pepper." the doll murmured and walked on, staying close to the mana beast as they explored what they could of the seal. There really wasn't much, but Caleb recorded everything he could examine for the next few hours; the decor of the walls, the setup of the rooms, the wreckage of old weapons and pieces of quartz. "That's about everything. Let's head back." he remarked, standing up from one last examination of a monster's skeletal remains. As the two friends made their way out of the seal, Pepper began to grow agitated. "What's wrong? Don't want to leave the land of your father's clan's blessing?" Caleb remarked with a chuckle and blinked when the mana beast sat down abruptly and made her strange irritated noise, half-growl, half-hiss.

"This... isn't about the seal, is it?" Caleb murmured and tried moving around Pepper to look out the entrance. A large cloud of sand was moving quickly towards the ruins and Caleb retreated. "A sandstorm! Geez! Pepper! Plug up the door!" A stone column rolled into place and the doll scrambled down the tunnel to stand within the ruins. "Well. Looks like we're stuck here overnight." Caleb muttered as he looked around. He smiled back at Pepper. "I suppose we could take another look around the place. Maybe find some more relics that Ms. Raine Sage may like?" The mana beast clacked and followed along after him once more, pausing once to take a good look at the entrance room, slip into a trance, then shake herself out and carry on.

A combination of Caleb's angelic-like strength and Pepper's own psychic power cleared enough of the wreckage for the doll to make a new discovery. A strange-looking ring with a small red gem shimmered faintly from a pile of broken rock and wood. Caleb picked it free and studied it. Engraved along the interior of the ring were various letters, all of which were written in what looked like garbled angelic language.

"Elven language makes up part of the language of angels, which in turn is the basis for modern language. So I shouldn't have too much trouble reading this." Caleb muttered and sat down by the pool of lava to study it further. "Hmm. _Proof_? This one looks like..._sal_-um, _salmendra_? _Salmendra's Proof_?" he murmured and stood up to pace as Pepper sniffed at the lava pool. "_'Salmendra's Proof... holds back... the power of... the frozen north?'_ What is this other stuff? These runes look almost familiar, like I've seen them somewhere before..." Caleb paused and studied the ring more carefully. "Hmm. That's a rough translation of what I can actually recognize, but some of the words don't mesh quite right. I guess in order to read this properly, I'll need to have either Colette, Zelos or Kratos read it to me." He looked over at the mana beast dipping a claw into the lava in curiosity. "Pepper, stop that. You don't have enough FireBlossom blood to withstand the heat of lava. Let's go back to the entrance. I'll make you dinner, then you can eat and rest while I try to figure this out." he told her and smiled at her happy clacks as she pulled away from the pool and bounded towards him.

* * *

Caleb received a shock upon reaching the entrance. Pepper only let out a happy cry and several clacks as she raced towards the lone figure crouched over a small cauldron. Wren looked up from the pot and smiled, stirring whatever it was he was cooking.

"Hey, Caleb. Bet you weren't expecting me to return, huh?" he greeted and blinked as the doll seemed to snap.

"What the hell are **you **doing here? You're _supposed_ to be safe at home!" Caleb yelled, storming up to him. Wren shrugged and went back to stirring.

"I spoke with my father about the old legend, and I learned that Kartha's name was probably taken out long ago by a Wonder Chef who was exiled for discrimination. Since no one caught onto what he did, the legend remained the way it was. I can't repair it in the archive, but her name will live on in the true legend I will tell my successor so that Kartha will have the honor and credit she deserved all this time." he remarked and tasted the recipe lightly. "Mmm. Still a little off. I can taste it myself." Wren sighed and looked glumly at the cauldron. "Why? Why can't I still get that last bit of my skill back?"

"I wasn't talking about what you were doing in Hima, I'm asking why you're here! How did you even _know_ where I am?" Caleb demanded.

"Pepper told me. I asked her to let me know where you are at all times so that I could rejoin you later." the chef replied, "And anyway, I have to travel. I told the Council and my family that I would practice the new recipes while traveling with you." Caleb sighed in exasperation.

"I'm not gonna be rid of you anytime soon, am I?" he whimpered, "We're best friends and all, and I do like spending time with you, but for your own safety and the well-being of what you stand for, I really wish you would _just stay home_!"

"Too bad. I've got official leave to tag along with you." Wren told him with a smug grin, "So you're just gonna have to put up with me."

"Fine. Do as you wish, you're the one with the magic fork." the doll relented with a sigh. His interest turned to the strange dish in the cauldron. "So, what are you cooking?"

"Something called goulash. It's similar to curry, but not as hot or spicy. It took a while to figure out how to reduce the dwarves' recipe to a basic recipe that everyone can work with, and that's not including our modifications to that recipe so it has other benefits." Wren answered and sat back. "What's been going on with you?"

"Recording data on the Summon Spirit Seals and picking up relics here and there." the doll returned and pulled out his rolls of 'maps' to show him. "I've gotten all the data on the Seal of Fire, so once the storm blows by, we'll head for the next seal." He showed off the ring he found. "By the way, I found this not far from the altar room. Any idea what it might be?"

"Huh. Actually, I think so. During the Kharlan War, there were lots of different charms and accessories, often more effective than the ones we have now. Most of the knowledge to make them was lost, as were a majority of the accessories themselves." the chef replied and sprinkled some extra ingredients into the pot before taking the ring for examination. "Interesting to see one that survived. Which one is it?"

"Salmendra's Proof. Says so in the ring."

"Really? Never heard of that one."

"It's a rough translation. The words aren't quite angelic in origin, and it's not really dwarven. I only got this far because I was matching letters and arrangements to what I know." Caleb pointed out as Wren studied the interior of the ring more closely.

"It's not angelic. If it was angelic, I wouldn't be able to read it this well. That part is elven. The rest is Old Runic. You only translated half of it. It basically says this is the Salamander Ring and that it renders bearers immune to cold in two languages." the chef corrected and handed the ring back. Caleb pocketed the ring with a questioning look on his face. "What? So I know how to read elven language, big whoop. It's useful for writing out recipes I don't want anyone else stealing. And some of our cookbooks are written in Old Runic; I had to learn **that** just to get to some of the older, original recipes. Stop staring at me like that!" Wren remarked, a little annoyed with his friend's expression, "So where to after this?"

"Oh, well, let's see." Caleb went on and shuffled through the parchments, "The next seal is the Seal of Water, on Thoda Island. That's gonna decrease Pepper's power. We can try going to the Tower of Mana, that would be the Seal of Light. She'll be a big help then and according to all these little squiggles, there must be a library in there. But I'd like to take a closer look at the Balacruf Mausoleum, there's so much there to learn and absorb!"

"An indecisive doll. Sad." Wren muttered and tasted the stew again, this time grimacing at the result, "Ugh! I ruined it! Damn." He looked up at Pepper with a smile. "Hey, Pepper, want to munch on something... unique?" The mana beast clacked and picked up the pot with her paws, dumping the contents straight into her mouth before setting the cauldron back down. She licked her lips, smacked her mouth, then blinked once the effect of what she ate hit. Panicking, Pepper raced off, screeching loudly as smoke began to billow from the corners of her mouth. Caleb stared after her as she dashed back and forth, plumes of fire erupting from her mouth.

"Wren! What did you _do_?" he yelled. Wren gave him a sheepish expression, rubbing his head.

"Ah, doubled her fire power?" he laughed hesitantly. Caleb sighed again and returned to his parchments, blinking in surprise as one of them displayed sketches and doodles of Derris-Kharlan.

"This is Derris-Kharlan. I've been there before. But, whose castle is this? It's not Sérno's castle; Zelos wasn't alive long enough to record it and this layout is wrong for it." he murmured and studied the drawings more closely. "This is Vinheim, Mithos' castle. And there's a library in there!" Caleb looked excited, "A lot of libraries! Zelos made a note here that he took a couple of books from one of them! Now I really **have** to go to Derris-Kharlan! Mithos would have had records of the last four thousand years that the Wonder Archive didn't!" The chef looked panicked.

"You can't go there yet! It takes six seasons for the comet to come parallel to Symphonia and that's the only time Lloyd will use the Eternal Sword to transport you there!" Wren cried. Caleb nodded.

"True, but what if we don't **need** the Eternal Sword?" he remarked with a sly grin. The chef blinked at him, then yelped and clutched the Wonder Fork more closely to himself.

"No!"

"But, Wren...!"

"I said, _no_!"

"It's magitechnology! And your Eru Crystal has to be far more powerful than any Cruxis Crystal currently in use!"

"Forget it!"

"But angels can use Cruxis Crystals to teleport themselves to Derris-Kharlan! And if yours is that much more powerful, then there must be no limit to the distance it can take us!"

"I'm **not** taking you to Derris-Kharlan from here!"

"Sure you can! We just need to get you an image of a place on Derris-Kharlan, and I've got memories of being there! I'll just have Pepper draw one of those memories from me and project it to you." Caleb assured him brightly, "Come on! Why are you so freaked out about this?"

"I'm not freaked out! I just don't want to **go** there!" Wren yelled and folded his arms over his chest angrily, "You can ask Lloyd to take you to Derris-Kharlan, but **I'm** not going up there! When it comes time to be teleported there, I'm staying right **here** on Symphonia!" Caleb studied him carefully, then sighed.

"Okay, okay. If that's the way you feel about it, then don't follow me there after I finish archiving the seals. You can go home after this journey is done." the doll remarked and looked evasive, "By the way... I was given some information that I was told to give to you, but I didn't trust it that much. To be honest, I was debating whether I should even tell you at all." Wren looked at him in confusion. Caleb took a deep breath and rubbed at his forehead. "I ran into Ginger in Triet again."

"That spy?" Wren cried, jumping halfway to his feet.

**"****Will you listen to me for once?"** Caleb snapped in irritation and the chef sat down in shock, "Yes, I ran into her again, and she told me about the Dark Chef Alliance planning something." An expression of deep concern came over his face. "She said that their next move will force you to finally relinquish the Wonder Fork and your title. It sounds very serious."

"Don't tell me you actually _believe_ her?" Wren declared, "She's lying! She's just trying to use you to lure me into another ambush!"

"And if she's not?" Caleb questioned uncertainly, "Are you really sure that she would lie about the Dark Chef's plans? She might have gloated to me about that and inadvertently gave us useful information."

"So is that all she told you? That the Dark Chefs are up to something big?" Wren sighed.

"Yeah. It's not much to go on."

"Then we'll have to find her and get more information. I can't risk the culinary world by ignoring this, even if I think it's all just baloney." Wren told him, "I have to find out what the Dark Chef Alliance is up to!" The doll winced.

"I figured you would say that, and stick a pun in there to boot. Okay. I'll go with you, if only to be sure your butt goes back home in one piece." Caleb remarked, "I can always search the other seals later. Let's return to Triet and interrogate Ginger." He got up and began to walk away, "But first things first... I gotta go see if Pepper's gonna be okay! What did you _put_ in that goulash? A pound of red satay?" The chef only laughed embarrassedly as Caleb disappeared into the ruins, then looked back down at the empty cauldron.

"Yes. Let's find Ginger." Wren murmured and pulled out the handful of nuts he still kept in his pocket, "Ms. Candy-Maker..."

The End


End file.
